Plastic gyres in ocean

Experienced sailor Emily Penn has set out with an all-female crew to investigate the world's largest accumulation of marine plastic. Emily Penn is concerned about the effects of plastic on human health -- Photo: EMILY PENN Her team will carry out scientific experiments on the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", now said to be three times the size of France. Ms Penn said her own medical tests had convinced her of the potential toxic impacts of plastic, especially for women. Data will be shared with universities. Why is this story important? In March this year, scientists published their latest estimate of the size of what's officially termed the North Pacific Gyre - this moving mess of plastic is better known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and is formed by winds and ocean currents that swirl the material around, in the same way that water spirals down a drain. The study concluded that the amount of discarded plastic in the garbage patch was up to 16 times greater than … [Read more...] about Plastic garbage patch: Medical tests ‘inspired me to investigate’

A collection of plastic afloat in the Pacific Ocean is growing rapidly, according to a new scientific estimate. Discarded fishing nets were part of the haul -- Photo: THE OCEAN CLEANUP Predictions suggest a build-up of about 80,000 tonnes of plastic in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" between California and Hawaii. This figure is up to sixteen times higher than previously reported, say international researchers. One trawl in the centre of the patch had the highest concentration of plastic ever recorded. "Plastic concentration is increasing - I think the situation is getting worse," said Laurent Lebreton of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation in Delft, Netherlands, which led the study. "This really highlights the urgency to take action in stopping the in-flow of plastic into the ocean and also taking measures to clean up the existing mess." Waste accumulates in five ocean areas, the largest being the patch located between Hawaii and California. The researchers used boats and … [Read more...] about Plastic patch in Pacific Ocean growing rapidly, study shows

The vast swirl of plastic waste floating in the North Pacific has grown 100-fold over the last 40 years, according to a research paper published Wednesday.
The vast swirl of plastic waste floating in the North Pacific has grown 100-fold over the last 40 years, according to a research paper published Wednesday. (AFP Photo/Mauricio Lima)
And scientists warned the killer soup of microplastic -- particles smaller than five millimetres (0.2 of an inch) -- threatened to alter the open ocean's natural environment.
In the period 1972 to 1987, no microplastic was found in the majority
of samples taken for testing, said the paper in the Royal Society
journal Biology Letters.
Today, scientists estimate the swirling mass of waste known as the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) or the Great Pacific Garbage … [Read more...] about Pacific plastic soup grew 100-fold